Shield DPS

Is there anyone else that thinks that a DPS spec that uses a shield would be interesting? I mentioned earlier in my Rogue reform thread (http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...g-up-the-rogue , a lot of really silly ideas but still) that I wanted combat rogues to be able to wear shields. After all, combat rogues are supposed to be swashbucklers. Or bandits.

So yeah, even if combat rogues don't get any shield DPS spec, do you think a shield DPS spec would work for any class? A fury warrior with 2-hand weapon in one hand and a shield in the other? An enhancement shaman walking around smashing people with 2 shields aka Viking from Final Fantasy 3. Perhaps melee hunter spec that uses 1-hand weapons and a shield with it? Who knows?

Can you even DPS with a shield today? I don't really know much about warriors, but wouldn't it be possible to DPS as a protection warrior, they have a few shield attacks that do fairly good damage. Whatcha think?

OT. Maybe warrior 4th spec, range dps that uses shield/spear. Throwing the spears of course. Bet trolls look amazing as that (tho I would still hate trolls, this would make me dislike them a little less).

Last edited by alt-ithist; 2013-02-10 at 01:47 PM.

Originally Posted by Ruargh

I'm baffled that something this simple can be so hard for some people... I guess we can't blame blizzard for dumbing down the game any longer, because apparently it very much needed :

I would like to see this, but not as a warrior spec. I'd prefer to see this as a separate class. Maybe a mail-wearing class that has a passive ability that allows them to carry a 2h pole-arm in one hand, and a shield in another. Sort of like Dragon Knights or Dragoons from Final Fantasy.

Is there anyone else that thinks that a DPS spec that uses a shield would be interesting? I mentioned earlier in my Rogue reform thread (http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...g-up-the-rogue , a lot of really silly ideas but still) that I wanted combat rogues to be able to wear shields. After all, combat rogues are supposed to be swashbucklers. Or bandits.

So yeah, even if combat rogues don't get any shield DPS spec, do you think a shield DPS spec would work for any class? A fury warrior with 2-hand weapon in one hand and a shield in the other? An enhancement shaman walking around smashing people with 2 shields aka Viking from Final Fantasy 3. Perhaps melee hunter spec that uses 1-hand weapons and a shield with it? Who knows?

Can you even DPS with a shield today? I don't really know much about warriors, but wouldn't it be possible to DPS as a protection warrior, they have a few shield attacks that do fairly good damage. Whatcha think?

As far as I know, swashbucklers never actually used shields. Look at any pirate reference, and you won't see a shield anywhere. They typically fight with 1 sword, a cutlass to be specific, but it's not uncommon to find them holding 2.

While I do think that a shield DPS class would be awesome, Rogues aren't the class for it. It just doesn't fit the profile for them. I'd say Paladin would be most fitting. I mean after all, Protection spec is pretty much Captain America. They've had Avenger's Shield for as long as I've played the game. However, a Warrior could also easily fit into this spot simply because Shield Slam has been a somewhat iconic move for them throughout the game. There's really no other class or spec out there that would fit into it. It's not just because those are the only official shield-bearing tanks (I say official because there were tanking enhancement shamans right up to at least the end of Wrath), but because there's no other class that fits into any of the historical or fantasy stereotypes for it. Perhaps a new class would be in order to make it work (and make it something along the lines of a legionnaire, with a tall shield and a polearm, using abilities similar to the adds on the last boss in MSV).

The problem comes with balancing a role like that. Do you allow them to block? Logically they should be able to if they can wield a shield. How much do they block? If they're DPS, you can't have them blocking 30% of damage like tanks do.

As far as I know, swashbucklers never actually used shields. Look at any pirate reference, and you won't see a shield anywhere. They typically fight with 1 sword, a cutlass to be specific, but it's not uncommon to find them holding 2.

While I do think that a shield DPS class would be awesome, Rogues aren't the class for it. It just doesn't fit the profile for them. I'd say Paladin would be most fitting. I mean after all, Protection spec is pretty much Captain America. They've had Avenger's Shield for as long as I've played the game. However, a Warrior could also easily fit into this spot simply because Shield Slam has been a somewhat iconic move for them throughout the game. There's really no other class or spec out there that would fit into it. It's not just because those are the only official shield-bearing tanks (I say official because there were tanking enhancement shamans right up to at least the end of Wrath), but because there's no other class that fits into any of the historical or fantasy stereotypes for it. Perhaps a new class would be in order to make it work (and make it something along the lines of a legionnaire, with a tall shield and a polearm, using abilities similar to the adds on the last boss in MSV).

The problem comes with balancing a role like that. Do you allow them to block? Logically they should be able to if they can wield a shield. How much do they block? If they're DPS, you can't have them blocking 30% of damage like tanks do.

Actually, I do feel combat rogues fit best. Protection paladins are like Captain America, true, but Captain America is by no means a DPS, as seen in the movies he's the one charging in and leading the attack.

Sure, combat rogues can be swashbucklers, too bad they don't have anything that makes them look like swashbucklers besides being able to use cutlasses. I feel a combat rogue that poses as a bandit would fit them really well, simply because of WC3 bandits.

I could see it working for enhancement shamans. Like they could surge lava and stuff from the shield (could work for elemental as well). I don't see it working with a class though that uses it to hit people. I mean, who would actually use a shield to hit someone? It's too clunky and it's "stuck" to your arm.

Is there anyone else that thinks that a DPS spec that uses a shield would be interesting? I mentioned earlier in my Rogue reform thread (http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...g-up-the-rogue , a lot of really silly ideas but still) that I wanted combat rogues to be able to wear shields. After all, combat rogues are supposed to be swashbucklers. Or bandits.

So yeah, even if combat rogues don't get any shield DPS spec, do you think a shield DPS spec would work for any class? A fury warrior with 2-hand weapon in one hand and a shield in the other? An enhancement shaman walking around smashing people with 2 shields aka Viking from Final Fantasy 3. Perhaps melee hunter spec that uses 1-hand weapons and a shield with it? Who knows?

Can you even DPS with a shield today? I don't really know much about warriors, but wouldn't it be possible to DPS as a protection warrior, they have a few shield attacks that do fairly good damage. Whatcha think?